Crop theft leaves West Nile farmers counting losses

Ms Doreen Anena, one of the affected farmers, told Monitor  last week that she has lost more than two acres of cassava to thieves. 

Ms Anena said she had invested more than Shs5 million in the cassava plantation for commercial purposes to meet her pressing family needs.

She had hoped that within a year, she would earn money to keep paying school fees for her children and build a house.

However, her dreams have been shattered by unknown thieves, who have on several occasions raided her farm at night.

“Losing my cassava has dampened my dream. I may soon consider selling the land. During Covid-19, I thought it was because of hunger but the theft has since continued. For the past three years, I have been making losses,” she said. 

Ms Anena, who owns a 10-acre cassava plantation in Pangieth Village, Alwi Sub-county in Pakwach District,  said in the past three years, she has lost Shs19.2 million to theft of both the cassava stalk she would have sold and the mature cassava. 

This theft has also affected other farmers in Pacego Village, Pakwach District. 

The most affected crops include bananas, coffee, cassava, ground nuts and maize. Farmers in Arua District have also fallen victim to the thieves. 

Mr Alex Acidri, a farmer in Logiri Sub-county in Arua, said last Tuesday: “I found that some of the thefts were due to connivance with the farm labourer I employed. It is unfortunate that I lost 48 bunches of bananas, which were stolen in three days.” 

He added: “I have spent more than Shs8 million to plant bananas but lazy people who do not want to work are stealing from my sweat. It is very demoralising for farmers. I have now constructed a house for a labourer in the garden for easy monitoring.” 

He said: “Farmer groups should form a security committee to help in monitoring. Theft is common during the market days of Ejupala and Kampala markets where they take the bananas.”  

Mr Acidri added that there was a need for local councils to form committees with farmer groups to punish those found with stolen crops.

Mr George Ngure, another farmer from Nebbi Municipality,  who has lost his cassava to thieves, said he is considering selling some of  his crops while premature to reduce his losses. 

“I did not employ a security guard on my farm. This is the second time they are stealing my cassava. I wanted to use money earned from selling that cassava to pay school fees for my children. Now I will be forced to sell the remaining cassava prematurely so that I do not lose everything,” he said. 

As a measure, some farmers are now employing guards armed with bows and arrows. Others are fencing their gardens but these have proved to be costly ventures. For instance, a guard charges about Shs300,000 per month to watch over a one-acre garden.  

Other farmers have constructed houses in their gardens for workers to live in a bid to watch over the gardens at night. 

Way forward
The Thatha Division chairman, Ms Jackline Opar, acknowledged the rampant theft of crop from gardens.  

"We are in trouble because there is food insecurity in the community because few people who are working hard in the garden are not reaping from their sweat. We need to devise means of reducing thefts of food crops because this appears to be an organised crime,” Ms Opar said. 

She added that in her division, more than 30 percent of youth are idle and feed on handouts by the roadside, which is affecting food production.

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